Green Hydrogen from Waste: The Cheapest and Most Sustainable Way to Produce Hydrogen
Here’s an article posted in Recharge News.
Here are the key takeaways from the article about the California-based startup Ways2H and its hydrogen-from-waste technology:
Hydrogen Production from Waste: Ways2H has developed technology to convert municipal solid waste (MSW), plastics, and hazardous medical waste into hydrogen. This provides an alternative to traditional green hydrogen production methods like electrolysis powered by wind or solar energy.
Cost Efficiency: The process touted by Ways2H is reportedly cheaper than the current costs of green hydrogen, which is derived from renewables. The CEO of Ways2H, Jean-Louis Kindler, states they can produce hydrogen at around $5 per kilogram, potentially reducing to $3 within five years, compared to $11-16 per kg for green hydrogen.
Tipping Fees as Revenue: A significant aspect of Ways2H’s cost structure is the revenue from tipping fees paid by municipalities for waste removal. These fees help offset the costs of hydrogen production.
Continuous Operation: Unlike renewable energy sources which may be intermittent, Ways2H’s facilities can operate continuously throughout the year, enhancing production efficiency and reducing costs.
Carbon-Negative Potential: The company aims to capture and store carbon produced in the hydrogen generation process, making it a carbon-negative solution. This could have significant environmental benefits, particularly in reducing methane emissions from landfill waste.
Versatile and Scalable Solutions: Ways2H offers both mobile and stationary solutions for hydrogen production. Their mobile units can fit inside shipping containers, making them adaptable and easy to deploy.
International Expansion and Partnerships: Ways2H is working on expanding internationally, with plans for commercial pilot projects in California, Japan, and South America, and discussions for developing projects that convert medical waste into hydrogen.
Strategic Use of Electricity: The CEO suggests prioritizing electricity from renewable sources for direct uses, like charging electric vehicles, rather than producing hydrogen, making waste-to-hydrogen an attractive option for areas with less potential for large-scale renewable energy installations.
This innovative approach to hydrogen production not only addresses the cost and scalability challenges associated with green hydrogen but also contributes to waste reduction and carbon capture, aligning with broader environmental goals.
Here we have some interesting questions related the above post:
How might the lower cost of producing hydrogen from waste influence the adoption of hydrogen technologies in various industries?
How does converting waste to hydrogen address methane emissions from landfills, and what are the potential environmental impacts of scaling up this technology?
What are the main challenges in scaling up hydrogen production from waste, and how does Ways2H plan to address these to meet demand for clean hydrogen?
Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:
- Hydrogen Production with Plastic Waste: FusionOne Technology
- FusionOne technology converts plastic waste into hydrogen fuel by breaking it down into chemical components1.
- Pune’s Green Hydrogen: Waste-to-Hydrogen Project Launched
- India’s first waste-to-hydrogen project in Pune aims to manage waste and lower emissions using green hydrogen, a partnership between Pune Municipal Corporation and The Green Billions.
